Process for paprika and chili manufacture



May 24, 96@ K. w. RANNEY ET AL 2,937,947

PROCESS FOR PAPRIKA AND CHILI MNUFACTURE Filed sept. 1e, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet l www mm A TTORNEY K. vv. RANNEY ET A1. 2,937,947

PROCESS FOR PAPRIKA AND CHILI MANUFACTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 24, W6@

Filed sept. 1e, 1957 May 24, 96@ K. w. RANNEY ET AL 2,937,947

PROCESS FOR PAPRIKA AND CHILI MANUFACTURE Filed Sept. 16, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 5 @Mmmm Wm,

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ATTORNEY May 2%, 1960 K. vv. RANNEY ET Al. 2,937,947

PROCESS FOR PAPRIKAAND CHILI MANUFACTURE Filed Sept. 16, 1957 LOSS OFALCOHOL SOLUBLE COLOR M A Y r. SMMH RMUPMM 3. mmmr l may V ...Il L04 6WURMF H www4. Vl M 7o .hwME O m 0 N m N l` n h 0 E 4 a n 2 WH M C n w mM i 0 8 0 0 O w. w 6 4 ATTORNEY tats PROCESS FOR PAPRIKA AND CHILIMANUFACTURE naar sept. 16, 1957, ser. No. 634,202

4 anims. (el. 99-140) This invention relates to an improved process forchili and paprika manufacture and has for one of its principal objectsthe provision of an apparatus and an associated method whereby a betterproduct results, which has the desired attractive surface color, andwhereby quality deterioration is reduced, even over relatively longperiods of time.

One of the important objects of this invention is the provision or' animproved method of producing paprika, chili pepper and chili powder,wherein the moisture content of the iinal product is controlled to avery accurate degree, which in itself enhances the product and itsstability and keeping qualities.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a process forchili and paprika manufacture, Whrein the loss of alcohol soluble colorover any designated period of time is less than the previous processes.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a process of chilipowder, chili pepper and paprika manufacture, wherein the loss of lightreilectance due to carmelization is appreciably lessened.

Prior to this invention, the general practice in preparation of productsof this type was to dry the fresh chili peppers in whole unchopped oruncut form. Originally and still in many instances, this wasaccomplished by spreading the peppers on the ground in the sun; butlater the peppers were placed on trays and dried in ovens for periodsvarying from twenty-uve to thirty-tive hours, after which the dried podswere stored at temperatures ranging above 40 F. and ground as needed.

This resulted in a dehydrated product which lostl its soluble red colorat a relatively fast rate, which product did not tind a very readymarket acceptance. Another disadvantage was that the long drying cyclecoupled with the fact that the pods were whole, caused a much greaterdegree of carmelization of the natural sugars, rendering the iinisheddried ground product quite dark in color and, therefore, unsuitable forpaprika material and many types of chili pepper products.

The present invention utilizes a much more efhcient and better designedspreading mechanism, together with many novel steps in the process,whereby all disadvantages are eliminated and a nal very satisfactoryproduct results, both so far as color and keeping quality are concerned.v

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and followingspeciiication.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic View of a portion of the apparatusemployed with the process of this invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the various structur depicted in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a View, partly in section, illustrating one of the dryingtrays and associated spreading means em- Vtent ployed in the process ofthis invention, and comprises an enlarged section taken on the plane ofthe line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 islikewise an enlarged section taken on the plane of the line4-4 of Figurev 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating another section of thenovel apparatus of this invention, such as the ovens and the means forunloading the trays and temporarily packaging the chopped and driedpods.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the structure of Figure 5, illustrating moredetails.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7--7 of Figure 5, looking in thedirection indicated.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the final grinding portion of theimproved apparatus of this invention.

Figure 9 shows one stage of refrigeration of the nished product.

Figure 10 illustrates another stage of refrigeration of the iinishedproduct, which stage comprises one of the most important steps intheprocess.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one of the drying trays employed.

Figure 12 is a chart illustrating the loss of alcohol soluble color withtime and compares the product of this invention with earlier patents andprocesses.

Figure 13 is a chart graphically depicting the degrees of lightreilectance due to carmelization and compares. the product of thisinvention with those of earlier developments.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 14 indicates generally a truck by means of whichthe chili peppers are brought into the apparatus of this invention fromthe fields or growers. The trucks are preferably tilted sidewise `sothat the pods are dumped onto a conveyer 15 which delivers them to ascale conveyer 16. Another conveyer 17 delivers the pods to a washer 1S,preferably of the rotatable tumbler type, and thence to a movingdraining screenV 19. The washer 18 and the screen =19 are positionedover a pan 2li for collecting and draining off the wash water. The scaleconveyer 16 is for the purpose of providing an initial figure for theweight of pods delivered by the trucks 14 from the grower.

A sorting station 21 is provided adjacent the conveyer 19 where leavesand defective pods are removed by hand.

A further conveyer 22 delivers the cleaned pods. to a chopper or cuttingmachine 23 in which they are shredded intoY individual pieces in thesize range of 2" X 2" to 1/2'! X 1/2".

This chopped material is then spread on trays 24 by a mechanicalspreader Z5 (Figures 3 and 4) to a predetermined thickness. The trays 24have wire mesh bottoms 26, as best shown in FigureV ll and have endspacersV 27 to provide for free circulation of air when the trays arestacked.

As best shown in Figure 3, the thickness ofthe chopped, material isunequal over the surface of the trays being thickest on the edge whichis iirst contacted by the drying air when the trays are in the ovens.

The angle of the relative thickness is considerably exaggerated in theshowing of FigureA 3, but it has been found that this uneven thicknessallows for the fact that the leading edge ofthe tray which is firstcontacted by the heated air will dry at a faster rate and thisparticular method of spreading thereby provides a very evenrate ofdrying oi the material thusly spread over the entire tray. Approximatelythirty to forty pounds-,of material are on each tray, depending on theraw materials. Adjusting means 28 are provided to vary the anglel Qf;the supporting shaft of the spreader 28, as shown in Figure 3. Thisangular variation is sometimes necessary,

depending upon the quality and moisture content of the chopped podsbeing dried.

From an inspection vof Figure 1, it will b e noted that the empty trays24 are broughtin under the cutting machine Z3 by means of a conveyer 29,which same conveyer delivers the loaded trays after coming out fromunder the spreader 2S to another conveyer 30 operating at a right angleto the direction of movement of the conveyer 29. The loaded trays arethen deliveredV to a stacker 3K1, which operates somewhat on theprinciple of a Ferris wheel and in normal operation thirty of theseloaded trays are delivered onto a truck 32. This truck is then movedalong tracks 33 (Figures 3 and 5 )A to any one of a battery of dryingovens 34. A

One of these ovens is illustrated in some detail in Figure 6 andcomprises the necessary housing for an intermediate baille 35 which isabove the trays and a gas burner 36 lis mounted in the space above thebaille with a blower or fan 37 to propel air brought in through a duct38 past the burner, where it is heated and then blown downwardly andrearwardly over the stacked and lled trays on the carts or trucks 32. e

This comprises the first stage of the drying process where the productis reduced to ten to twenty percent moisture content. This isaccomplished by the initial temperatures employed, being from 150 F. to190 F., and the required time is somewhere vbetween fourA and six hours.The volume of air is also anirnportant factor. In actual operation, oneloaded truck is removed from the exit door 40 and a freshly loaded truckis brought in through the entrance door 41 every iorty-ve to sixtyminutes. e y

The carts with the loaded trays are then moved to the second dryingstage in ovens 44 where temperatures of from 130 to 160 are maintainedto reduce the moisture content to the desired level in an additionaltime of from live to ten hours.

The chili leaves this second stage drier with a moisture level contentof from two to four percent reduced from an original moisture content ofsomewhere between sixtyve and eighty-live percent.

As best shown in Figures and 6, the trays with their loads of driedchiliare then manually overturned and the chili delivered to a chute orconveyer 45 and then temporarily placed in sacks or bags 46 for removalto a surge storage room to await grinding. The chili is automaticallyweighed and further tested before placing in the bags 46. This is forthe double purpose of paying the grower and for a further check on thequality. The empty trays are delivered to kanother ferris-wheel typestacker 47, and placed on carts 32 for further handling. There areusually thirty trays on each truck with a content of approximatelytwelve hundred pounds of chopped chili to be dried.l

When the dried chili is to be ground, the bags 46 are delivered to ascrew conveyor 48 (Figure 8) and thence to a hammer mill 50, where thematerial is ground to pass through screens varying from twenty-two tosixtysix mesh. A blower S1 conveys the ground material through a chute52 to the sifters or screens 53, which are preferably of the vibratortype and any material vwhich does not pass through the screens isbrought back through an overflow chuteA 54 for regrinding in the mill50.

The ground material is delivered `by way of a further screw conveyer 55to a ribbon blender 56 where its moisture contentI is adjusted up to arange of from ten to ifteen percent. This is accomplished by means ofwater delivered through a spray 57, while the ground material is beingtumbled by an agitator 58. The properly blended chili with a desiredmoisture content is then coopered in fiber or similar 60, usuallycontaining approximately two hundred and fifty pounds.

The drums 60 can be stored in coolers 62 maintained at temperatures offrom 32 F. to 40 F., or alternatively delivered to freezers 64maintained at temperatures of from 0 to 20 F. It is this relatively lowtemperature which imparts many desirable qualities to the nal product,and which has never before been accomplished.

The advantages over earlier products are graphically shown in Figures-12and 13, and from an inspection of Figure l2, it will be noted, from line66, that, starting with one hundred percent coloration of two products,the product of this invention will, in over a year, at 0 F. to 10 F.storage, lose not more than ten percent of alcohol soluble color. At 32F. to 40 F. storage, it

l will lose not much more than twenty percent of alcohol soluble color(line 68). Products of earlier processes will, in a years time, lose upto forty percent of alcohol soluble color (line 72). Herein lies one ofthe great advantages of this process in that color, particularly withpaprika, comprises one of the essential elements of salability andconsumer appeal.

By referring to the chart of Figure 13, it will be noted that the rateof carmelization and corresponding degree of light rellectance is at theoutset well above the limit of acceptability for paprika, based on astandard, herein arbitrarily established as one hundred percent (line76). It will also be noted that even after a year (line 74), the productof this invention is still acceptable. In practically all cases, theproduct of previous processes has never come up to standard anddeteriorates much more rapidly than this improved product (see line 78).

These desirable qualities result from not one, two, three or more of thesteps of this invention, but from a combination of all the steps and thenovel and useful methods employed, and relate to more than simpletechnique. Substantially all of the employed steps were worked out afterconsiderable research and careful study. The storage at temperatureswell below freezing is one of the most recent developments resultingfrom considerable trial and error procedure.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction and operation varied throughout a wide range withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention, and we, therefore, donot propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than asnecessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. The process of preparing chili and paprika comprising chopping andshredding fresh washed pods to individual pieces,spreading the same ontrays to a predetermined thickness, drying in ovens to reduce themoisture content to a level of from two to ve percent, grinding thedried chili, packaging and storing at relatively low temperatures, theshredded pods being in a size range of from 2" x 2" to 1/2" x 1A", andbeing mechanically spread on wire mesh trays and wherein the thicknessof the material at the leading edge of the tray is greater than that atthe rear edge when the material is dried, varying from one-half to oneand one-half inches, the oven temperatures being maintained at from F.to 190 F., and the time employed ranging from four to six hours.

2. The process as described in claim 1, wherein sets of ovens areemployed, one reducing the moisture content to a range of from 10% to20%, and operated at from 150 F. to 190 F. for four to six hours; andwherein the second set of ovens reduce the moisture content to a levelof from two to live percent and are operated at temperatures of from 130F. to 160 F. for additional times of from ve to ten hours.

3. A process as described in claim l, wherein the dried chili is groundto pass through screens varying from twenty-two to sixty-six mesh andwherein the nal ground material with its relatively low moisture contentis blended to adjust the moisture content upwardly to a desired degreeranging from ten to fteen percent.

4. The process as described in claim l, wherein the final storagetemperature of the product is below freezing and 2,561,797 HuntsingerJuly 24, 1951 ranges from 0 to 20 F. 2,571,948 Sar et a1. Oct. 16, 19512,650,883 Van Blaricom et al. Sept. 1, 1953 References Cited in the ileof this patent OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 The ChemicalSenses, by Moncriei, Leonard Hill 1,185,856 Taibert June 6, 1916Limited, 17 Stratford Place, W.1, London, 1944, page 1,212,416 StillsonJan. 16, 1917 359.

1. THE PROCESS OF PREPARING CHILI AND PAPRIKA COMPRISING CHOPPING ANDSHREDDING FRESH WASHED PODS TO INDIVIDUAL PIECES, SPREADING THE SAME ONTRAYS TO A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS, DRYING IN OVENS TO REDUCE THEMOISTURE CONTENT TO A LEVEL OF FROM TWO TO FIVE PERCENT, GRINDING THEDRIED CHILI, PACKAGING AND STORING AT RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURES, THESHREDDED PODS BEING IN A SIZE RANGE OF FROM 2" X 2" TO 1/2" X 1/2", ANDBEING MECHANICALLY